Entitlement Reform

Safety net programs for senior citizens are considered mandatory spending, meaning the federal government is legally obligated to make these payments regardless of the cost; therefore it is not controlled as a part of the annual appropriations process. Mandatory spending currently encompasses more than 60 percent of all federal spending, and most entitlements are not capped at a specific spending level.

I firmly believe that we must live up to the commitment made to our nation’s seniors. Americans at or near retirement should not see changes to their promised benefits. However, in order to protect Social Security and Medicare for future generations, we must provide commonsense reforms to strengthen and preserve these programs. In fact, according to the Medicare Trustees the Trust Fund will be insolvent in 15 years and the Social Security Trustees indicate the Social Security Trust Fund will begin consistently paying out more than it receives in 2033 Congress should work in a bipartisan fashion with the White House to meet this challenge. Not acting on entitlement reform will result in these programs not being available for future generations.

For more information on how I can help with Social Security and Medicare issues, click here.